What I learned from Ornette Coleman
It is funny. The pedestal, the competitiveness. The ego. Mine.
Ahh so it goes. I get to pontificate about music, and I get to make slight judgements from time to time. So I want to give some back ground I suppose.
These videos we start with are from Pearl Jam. This is the sound, my sound, of college, and beyond. This sound is the sound of musicians onstage, rocking pretty hard. A singer singing words that matter to him, and conveying the really physical act of what he is up to. I saw them first at Atomic, in an acoustic show, then they played a free show at Marquette, then years later they opened for the Smashing Pumpkins, then years later, I got to crew for them. Well not for them, a friend opened for them, and I crewed for my friend.
Is that rock and roll for you? Have you seen that locally?
In high school, I was listening almost exclusively to hip hop. Public Enemy sonically touched me so deeply. Hank and Keith Shocklee invented industrial music.
Do you know?
Why dont you know?
Are you seeing me?
Will you take me this far?
Will you make this sound for me? Will you tear me apart?
What will the girl from HR say when she sees this?
Do you think it can transport you? Will you show me the way?
Can I get a hug from you friend?
Should you not want to be 50 feet tall?
And a glazed donut to go
Are you not onstage?
Did you write a song? With a hook, or a bridge maybe?
For all you suicidals out there
Have you sung a song?
I would never make fun of what you do. But, I cannot deny what I have seen.
I believe in Miracles. Will you be one for me?